SeaVenture Pismo Beach Hotelhttp://www.seaventure.com
Sat, 01 Aug 2015 00:42:30 +0000en-UShourly1Surfing Wind and Waves in Pismohttp://www.seaventure.com/2015/07/26/surfing-in-pismo/
http://www.seaventure.com/2015/07/26/surfing-in-pismo/#commentsSun, 26 Jul 2015 21:05:26 +0000http://www.seaventure.com/?p=1883Surfing is in the lifeblood of California culture, and in the bloodstream of a lot of CA citizens. Seems like California kids (boys and girls) get on a surfboard from the moment they can do the breaststroke, and stay at it until the knees totally quit (I mean, there are some really old surfers who... Read more »

]]>Surfing is in the lifeblood of California culture, and in the bloodstream of a lot of CA citizens.

From Beginners to Pros

Seems like California kids (boys and girls) get on a surfboard from the moment they can do the breaststroke, and stay at it until the knees totally quit (I mean, there are some really old surfers who are committed to it!). Surfing is not just a sport – it’s a way of life. Here on the coast, surfing is a permanent fixture in everyone’s world, whether they surf or not.

Surfing the Pier

Pismo Beach offers a lot of surfing options for experts and beginners alike. One of the most common sights around here is surfers off the pier, in close. Lots of them are pretty new, paddling out a bit to sit for a while in the swell before trying to get back to the beach on their board. But every now and then there’s a more seasoned vet who gives the folks on the pier a show.

Throughout the year there are a lot of events in town about surfing and surfers, from Wine, Waves & Beyond celebration to straight-up surfing competitions. The Western Surfing Association (established 1961) is a prime incubator of youth surfing, with training, standards and competition for young surfers who will become the next generation of people in the lifestyle forever. The WSA is holding a Championship Tour Event at Pismo pier November 14 and 15 for boys and girls from 9 to 18, great for watching and even better for the competitors.

But most of the surfing that gets done is just ordinary people

Windsurfing Off the Beach

taking the board off the roof or bed of the truck, slipping into a wetsuit, and heading out into the surf. You can just take your chances, and usually find a steady set, or use one of the many surf report websites to get a better prediction of surf conditions. Pismo Beach is one of the targets of most surf reporting sites, like surfline or windfinder.

Speaking of wind, more and more these days, you’ll see a sprinkling of people on wind surfers or kites, adding the pressure of the wind to the force of the waves. Windsurfing is a perfect fit for the Pismo coast, with the reliable (sometimes even predictable!) coastal winds, compliant waves, and even smooth sandy bottoms for less experienced windsurfers (it’s good to avoid rocks when you’re windsurfing).

Whatever kind of surfing you enjoy, please bring your board next time you visit Pismo. You’ll always find company on the waves, and a great town for the end of the day. And of course, you can rent any kind of equipment or even get lessons if you want them.

]]>http://www.seaventure.com/2015/07/26/surfing-in-pismo/feed/0Can You Get Wine without Water?http://www.seaventure.com/2015/06/25/drip-irrigation-for-vines/
http://www.seaventure.com/2015/06/25/drip-irrigation-for-vines/#commentsThu, 25 Jun 2015 16:50:00 +0000http://www.seaventure.com/?p=1864Well, “no” is the simple answer. In most of California, you need drip irrigation or some other form of irrigation to supplement rainfall. But with our historic drought in California, maybe the better question is “can you get wine with less water?” This question really matters if you love your California wines. If the drought... Read more »

]]>Well, “no” is the simple answer. In most of California, you need drip irrigation or some other form of irrigation to supplement rainfall.

But with our historic drought in California, maybe the better question is “can you get wine with less water?” This question really matters if you love your California wines. If the drought continues, water is going to get more scarce and therefore more expensive, and that will mean either less wine or higher costs, or both.

Vine Roots by M Wiggins SFGate

One solution to this problem is “dry farming” grapes. This method basically relies solely on rainfall and soil moisture to sustain grape vines rather than irrigation. In some famous European wine making regions, including areas in Spain and France, dry farming is not only common but is actually required by law and tradition. Some of the old timers in these areas look on irrigation as kind of cheating, and they do make some very fine wines.

The basic idea of dry farming is that the vines have to develop very extensive root systems to gather water that has percolated deep into the soil. This practice requires spacing the vines far enough apart so the plants don’t have to compete with each other for limited water, and it depends on the soil type since some soils hold water better than others. Yields in dry farmed vineyards tend to be smaller and the fruit is less predictable. This method is not for lazy farmers!

In fact, there are some vineyards in California that have practiced dry farming for quite some time, and they don’t do it just to save water. They claim that they make higher quality wines this way, more reflective of the “terroir” (this idea is pretty abstract to me, that the wine reflects the character of the soil in the vineyard – it makes sense, but how do you taste it?). There are a number of dry-farmed vineyards in SLO, and a lot of interest in expanding the practice.

Photo: Taken byfir0002

Obviously, dry farming can’t work where there is zero rainfall. Some experts peg the needed minimum rain at 20 inches per year, which is doable just about everywhere in San Luis Obispo County except in East Paso. You would still need to combine this with limited drip irrigation for the dry years, and try to build up the vines’ ability to tap into deeper water supplies over time. Our farmers are getting pretty creative about managing water.

So you don’t need to worry too much about whether there will be affordable wine in the future. But one reason for that is that vineyard managers are working on a number of tactics to get more grapes with less water. We all need to be thinking that way.

]]>http://www.seaventure.com/2015/06/25/drip-irrigation-for-vines/feed/0San Luis Obispo Biking: Easy to Off-the-Charts Hardhttp://www.seaventure.com/2015/05/01/san-luis-obispo-biking/
http://www.seaventure.com/2015/05/01/san-luis-obispo-biking/#commentsFri, 01 May 2015 20:21:36 +0000http://www.seaventure.com/?p=1787I don’t bike a hundred miles at a time, but I know a lot of SLO residents who do. This county is just the perfect place for anyone who likes to spend time pedaling a cycle, either on the road or on the trail. The weather is Goldilocks (not too cold, not too hot), the... Read more »

]]>I don’t bike a hundred miles at a time, but I know a lot of SLO residents who do. This county is just the perfect place for anyone who likes to spend time pedaling a cycle, either on the road or on the trail. The weather is Goldilocks (not too cold, not too hot), the hills are many and varied so you can choose your challenge, and there’s not so much traffic you feel like an endangered species.

The 106 Mile Route From Pismo to Avila (!)

We get an extra jolt of biking enthusiasm this time of year because the Amgen Tour of California comes through the county. This year, the race is starting Stage 4 in Pismo Beach on May 13that the pier, just a short boardwalk from the SeaVenture. Those riders always inspire us lesser types to get out on the road.

But every day, you’ll find bikers at all levels of ability on roads all over the county. A lot of these rides are mapped and measured so you can plan your own excursion if you want. In fact, if you ride, do not leave the bike home when you come for a visit!

The San Luis Obispo Bike Club (whose wonderful slogan is “Ride to Eat, Eat to Ride”) has published a nice list of local rides for road bikes. The rides are broken down by difficulty and location, and all are available as GPS maps.

Old Creek Route: Looks Flat. Isn’t.

One example of a “harder & longer” ride is the Old Creek route that begins in Cayucos. This one is only 33+ miles long, but it gains 4,500 feet of ascent, with a lot of that concentrated in a 3-mile section that climbs about 1,500 feet. The scenery is amazing, and very close and personal on the climb, but open to great views of Estero Bay on the long, fast descent from the 1,762 foot summit on Highway 46.

Huasna Ride: This One is Comfy.

On the “Easier & Shorter” side of things (my favorite category!) is a ride called “wine now, or whine later.” That sounds tailor made for me, and it is in fact just 20 miles, with only 1,100 feet of pretty easy hills.

If you prefer single track to bike lanes, the Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers have posted some maps for rides at several levels of difficulty. CCCMB works hard to make and maintain these trails, so give them a shout if you find a route you like.

Biking is a great way to see San Luis Obispo County, at slow speed and ground level so you can really be part of this beautiful place. If you don’t want to haul your bike with you on your next visit to Pismo, use one of our beach cruisers for local stuff or let us help you find a road worthy rental.

]]>http://www.seaventure.com/2015/05/01/san-luis-obispo-biking/feed/0Crazy Skinny Men on Wheels Ride Amgen into Pismohttp://www.seaventure.com/2015/04/22/amgen-tour-of-california-in-pismo/
http://www.seaventure.com/2015/04/22/amgen-tour-of-california-in-pismo/#commentsThu, 23 Apr 2015 01:21:04 +0000http://www.seaventure.com/?p=1777The world of professional cycling is more than a little bizarre. Young people, some of whom look like a strong wind would blow them over, sit on unbelievably narrow, hard seats pedaling at top speed over more than a hundred miles. Without stopping. Day after day. The professional tour is visiting Pismo Beach on May... Read more »

]]>The world of professional cycling is more than a little bizarre. Young people, some of whom look like a strong wind would blow them over, sit on unbelievably narrow, hard seats pedaling at top speed over more than a hundred miles. Without stopping. Day after day.

The 106 Mile Route From Pismo to Avila

The professional tour is visiting Pismo Beach on May 13th, for Stage 4 of this year’s Amgen Tour of California. You can get a good seat at the start of the stage in Pismo at the Pier, or at its finish in Avila Beach. Between start and finish, you can strategize to get a spot on the 106-mile route through Santa Barbara and SLO counties, through wine country, up hills and through valleys. If you’re quick enough, you can see the peloton pass by in several locations.

What makes them do it? These athletes are world class, with a freakish level of conditioning that most of us can’t even imagine. They endure endless painful training to gain a tiny edge on the competition, and even then, most races are decided by the length of a wheel. In time trials, they can average 30 miles per hour or more over distances from 25 to 50 miles.

Most of them do this just to win, because they have a passion for riding competitively.

Digging Deep

Like a lot of other professional sports, there are many who aspire to be the winner but few who are good enough to even get the chance. The bikers are organized into teams who foot the bills, paying for food and transportation, and maybe even a little to the riders.

What about those drugs? Lance Armstrong who famously and finally has admitted to doping, used to train in the very hills where this Stage 4 race is being run. It is an unanswerable mystery why someone who was so talented anyway would cheat like that, but the fact that the competition is so very tight is probably part of the answer. If any one of his main competitors doped, Armstrong had to dope.

Today’s professional teams have made renewed commitments to keep the sport clean. Of course, we hear that from football and baseball, and probably would hear it from tennis if we knew the facts. But the truth is that the riders perform astonishing feats of speed, endurance and downright daredevil descents. They reward your attention.

The Amgen Tour is one of the premier events in the U.S., so a lot of the big pro bicycling teams show up. The race is a proving ground for the younger riders, and a tune up for the established pros who will go on for the big racing season in Europe. If you are a rider, or know a rider, take this opportunity to see big time cycling in one of its most perfect locations.

]]>http://www.seaventure.com/2015/04/22/amgen-tour-of-california-in-pismo/feed/0Save This Wine Event Calendarhttp://www.seaventure.com/2015/03/25/slo-wine-events-2015/
http://www.seaventure.com/2015/03/25/slo-wine-events-2015/#commentsWed, 25 Mar 2015 22:45:22 +0000http://www.seaventure.com/?p=1742As we are writing this, a lot of lucky people are descending on Paso Robles wine country for the Vintage Paso – Zinfandel celebration (March 20 – 22), and we are too late to let you know! That’s our bad, and we are sorry for it. Why? Because Pismo Beach + SLO winemakers give you... Read more »

]]>As we are writing this, a lot of lucky people are descending on Paso Robles wine country for the Vintage Paso – Zinfandel celebration (March 20 – 22), and we are too late to let you know! That’s our bad, and we are sorry for it.

Why? Because Pismo Beach + SLO winemakers give you the best of California in one sweet package: wine and waves right next to each other. If you like Zin (and most people we know do!), last weekend was a perfect time for you to search out that perfect Zin during the day, and watch the sun dip into the ocean while enjoying it on your deck at the SeaVenture.

To make sure you don’t miss any more of these major wine events in San Luis Obispo County, this post includes a calendar with a brief description of each event. Bookmark it, or copy the page into a doc you can keep on your desktop, or put the events into your own calendar. Reserve your room at the SeaVenture early because these events are popular.

April 1 – May 3: Roll out the barrels. The only festival to have events over a full month, Roll Out the Barrels has been showcasing southern San Luis Obispo wines for 25 years. During the month, you will find a variety of special tastings, dinners, and wine-food pairings, dotted all over the area south of San Luis Obispo. Many of these are 20 minutes from the SeaVenture.

April 29 – May 3: Wine, Waves, & Beyond: A surf-inspired wine event held in the heart of wine to waves territory in Pismo, Avila Beach and San Luis Obispo. Enjoy 5 fun-packed days with surfing, movies, wine tasting, golf and a generally laid back surf culture vibe.

May 14 – 17: Paso Robles Wine Festival. The third weekend in May sees the biggest wine event of the year for the Paso Robles wine region, the 33rd annual Wine Festival. Many winemakers in the region put on special dinners beginning Thursday, May 14, and special events continue throughout the long weekend.

September 24 – 27: Sunset Savor the Central Coast. A relatively new event in San Luis Obispo County, this Sunset magazine-sponsored event brings together the best in food and wine over a long weekend in late September. Guest celebrity chefs do demos, and both wineries and restaurants vie to tickle your taste buds with world-class cuisine.

October 16 – 18: Harvest Wine Weekend. Harvest time is always a delicious time in Paso Robles, with the wonderful fall weather blending perfectly with the seasonal victory of hauling in another crop of premium Paso grapes. This is the time to relax from your labors and enjoy the rewards. Dinners, library tastings, food pairings, and live music create a party you won’t want to miss.

November 6 – 8: Harvest on the Coast. The last grand event of our wine calendar, the centerpiece is a Grand Tasting and Auction on Saturday, November 7. This event is outdoors, and features an extensive menu of live music and local artists to round out the wine culture rooted in the vintage.

In between these major events, you will find smaller dinners or pairings at one of the nearly 300 winemakers in SLO all throughout the year. Take advantage of the links in this calendar to begin exploring your options, and always include SeaVenture as the place to rest your head. Wine tasting in the daytime, waves breaking on the beach at night. It’s a beautiful combination.

]]>http://www.seaventure.com/2015/03/25/slo-wine-events-2015/feed/0Did You Spring Ahead or Fall Flat on Your Face?http://www.seaventure.com/2015/03/09/daylight-savings-2015/
http://www.seaventure.com/2015/03/09/daylight-savings-2015/#commentsMon, 09 Mar 2015 21:25:43 +0000http://www.seaventure.com/?p=1716I don’t know anyone who actually likes changing to Daylight Savings time. It’s a hassle. You forgot how many clocks and watches you have that need adjusting, and most of them tell you a different time after you change them (can’t do them all at once!). Changing the clocks in my car is the worst... Read more »

I don’t know anyone who actually likes changing to Daylight Savings time. It’s a hassle. You forgot how many clocks and watches you have that need adjusting, and most of them tell you a different time after you change them (can’t do them all at once!).

Changing the clocks in my car is the worst one of those little chores. It has one of those not-very-useful navigation systems (not useful because I never go anywhere far from home, and I mostly already know where I’m going) that includes a clock. The car also has a clock in the instrument panel. You would think that this sophisticated technological miracle I ride around in would have its two clocks synchronized, wouldn’t you? Nope. The only synchronizer is me, and I need the manual to tell me how to follow the two different, complicated series of button pushes to get the time changed on both clocks.

You can see where this is going: I sometimes have different times on my two clocks that are about 2 feet apart. Maybe this is a test of my patience, or my ability to tolerate ambiguity. But it bugs me. So I try to change the clocks by going through all the steps except the very last one that starts the clock for both clocks, and then try to start them at the exact same time. This is complicated because I have to also know what the actual time is. So, my cell phone is on and it always has the exact right time automatically (nice!) and I wait until it moves forward a minute and THEN start the clocks. Unless the cell phone screen has gone dark to save the battery.

The really irritating thing is that the car’s navigation system is continuously linked via an AT&T cell signal to a server somewhere in the cloud, telling the car company everything I do with the car. Privacy, anyone? But this cell signal is just like the one that automatically adjusts the time on my phone, so why the heck not my car? Maybe I should just put duct tape over one of the clocks.

Then there’s that thing about losing an hour. Suddenly, you’re running late for work and then when you get there it’s lunch hour before you even begin to think about food. And just where does that hour go, anyhow? The grey whales migrating up our shoreline certainly don’t notice, and they are totally not impressed that we can arbitrarily mess with time so we “lose” an hour in spring and then “get it back” in fall when we go through this ritual in reverse.

Sounds About Right

It all makes you wonder who thought up this practice. An article in the San Luis Obispo Tribune provides just enough light on the matter to make you even more puzzled about why we have to go through this. We have often heard that Daylight time is to help farmers. No, it may actually make life harder for them. For example, dairy cows (like those grey whales) are not big fans of clocks—they need to be milked on schedule and their milk needs to go to market quickly regardless of what the clock says.

What about that energy efficiency thing? Turns out the energy savings are very minor, and some studies even say Daylight Savings might be less efficient.

School kids? Not really. There doesn’t seem to be a good rationale for this practice, yet we have extended Daylight Savings from 6 to 8 months over the years, making “Standard” time anything but standard. The only group we’ve thought of that really stands to gain is the charcoal briquette makers. More evening light means more BBQ time.

For all the fuss, the sun is still making its northern journey on its own schedule. Our beachfront location is the perfect place to watch the seasons pass, the sun moving slowly north and south. Put the watch in your pocket, and sit on the deck with a glass of wine and mark the real time with that sunset.

]]>http://www.seaventure.com/2015/03/09/daylight-savings-2015/feed/0Alert! There’s A Dinosaur at Your Birdfeeder!http://www.seaventure.com/2015/01/18/dinosaur-as-bird/
http://www.seaventure.com/2015/01/18/dinosaur-as-bird/#commentsSun, 18 Jan 2015 20:37:50 +0000http://www.seaventure.com/?p=1626Can you believe this? That Townsend’s warbler feasting at your backyard feeder is a direct descendants of dinosaurs. Really. Our thoughts sometimes turn to birds and nature this time of year because San Luis Obispo County is the destination for lots of migratory species. They like our winter weather as much as we do. It... Read more »

Can you believe this? That Townsend’s warbler feasting at your backyard feeder is a direct descendants of dinosaurs. Really.

Our thoughts sometimes turn to birds and nature this time of year because San Luis Obispo County is the destination for lots of migratory species. They like our winter weather as much as we do. It means that birders can see over 200 species in the various habitats in the county in the space of two or three days – that’s what the birders who go to the Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival do every year.

The sort of weird dinosaur connection has emerged from years of uncovering fossils and doing all those science-y tests on them. The January 2015 issue of Audubon Magazine has a story about some of the more startling findings about birds and dinosaurs. Here’s some interesting ones:

Scientists now believe that many, if not most, dinosaurs were covered in feathers. Imagine a red-breasted Rex.

Dinosaurs’ feathers functioned to help the dinos regulate their temperature. Why? Because they weren’t cold-blooded after all, like we (or some of us, anyway) always thought. They weren’t just big frogs.

The fossil record shows that dinosaurs laid eggs and hatched them just the way our current birds do. That is, birds do it like dinosaurs did.

Some dinosaurs developed wing-like structures, and maybe even got a little jumping boost from them. Think of a fat, flightless turkey flapping its wings as it tries to run away.

When the big extinction happened 65 million years ago, some dinosaurs found that flying helps you avoid being a meal. These are the ancestors of birds.

Reports like this always make me wonder how they know these things. The fossils do exist, of course, but it takes a certain amount of imagination to draw conclusions like these. Still, as time passes, they find more fossils and the story fills in.

What we do know for sure is

Photo by Dick Boyd

that the birds are here again this winter. San Luis Obispo County is blessed to have a wide variety of habitats that support different kinds of birds. Everyone thinks of our ocean and beaches, but we also have low mountain ranges, the dry inland grassland of the Carrizo Plain, coastal cliffs, mixed groves in creek valleys and oak along hillsides, fresh water lakes, coastal dunes with shrubs, and the verge of the dunes.

You don’t have to be an avid birder to enjoy exploring one or more of those habitats in our County, and watch the different birds you find in them. You can contact the Morro Coast Audubon Society for information about birding in the County, and see a lot about the birds at San Luis Obispo County Birds.

If you prefer to sit on the beach, you can find hundreds of great photos of our local birds at these sites.

]]>http://www.seaventure.com/2015/01/18/dinosaur-as-bird/feed/0Is New Year’s Just an Excuse for a Party?http://www.seaventure.com/2014/12/31/pismo-beach-new-years-2015/
http://www.seaventure.com/2014/12/31/pismo-beach-new-years-2015/#commentsWed, 31 Dec 2014 23:01:08 +0000http://www.seaventure.com/?p=1575Here’s the key point: New Year’s Day is an arbitrary date. Someone had to choose it, and make it stick. Now, January 1 is our tradition, and it’s hard to think of anything else. But it wasn’t always so. When you think about it, any first day of any month could start the New Year. ... Read more »

]]>Here’s the key point: New Year’s Day is an arbitrary date. Someone had to choose it, and make it stick. Now, January 1 is our tradition, and it’s hard to think of anything else. But it wasn’t always so.

When you think about it, any first day of any month could start the New Year. In fact, your average corporate accountant might be more interested in the fiscal year that starts July 1 (or whatever). If it was just an excuse for a party, we kind of like March 1 because by that drab time of year we could really use something perky.

There’s evidence that people have been celebrating the New Year for thousands of years, probably tied to the seasons. The solar equinox and solstice events were known by ancient people, and they knew that they signaled the changes in the rotation of times for planting, cultivating and harvesting.

But why January 1? The typical account is that Julius Caesar chose the day in 46 BC because the month was named after Janus, the god of gates, doors and beginnings. Janus was believed to have two faces, one looking forward and one looking back. Apparently, Caesar thought this two-faced god was a good symbol for starting over, with one eye on the past.

That reasoning wasn’t persuasive to medieval Christians They celebrated New Years on March 25, Annunciation Day, the day that commemorated the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she was pregnant with Jesus. Finally, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII returned the celebration to January 1 as part of his revision of the calendar – the Gregorian calendar system we still use. The purpose of the Gregorian reform was to have a calendar that was aligned with actual events such as the annual solstice and equinox.

Today, the world runs on the Gregorian calendar and most people acknowledge January 1 as New Year Day. Yet there are still active cultural traditions that choose a different day as New Year. The Chinese New Year is the best known to Americans, and it is held on the 1st day of the lunar calendar, usually sometime between January 20 and February 20, and it is marked by huge fireworks and parties. You need to brush up on your lunar calendar skills to keep track of this one.

So, if you really need an excuse for a party, you can celebrate Ethiopian New Year, Cambodian New Year, the lunar new year, and even on January 13 if you want to follow the old Julian calendar.

Whichever date(s) you choose, we wish you all a prosperous and happy New Year!

]]>http://www.seaventure.com/2014/12/31/pismo-beach-new-years-2015/feed/0Holiday Treats in SLO South Countyhttp://www.seaventure.com/2014/12/02/pismo-holiday-activities/
http://www.seaventure.com/2014/12/02/pismo-holiday-activities/#commentsTue, 02 Dec 2014 20:03:41 +0000http://www.seaventure.com/?p=1527One of the nicest things about the holidays is that everyone is welcome. The time brings out the best in us, when giving truly is more important than receiving. There’s also a lot of community activities that we share to celebrate the season. Here in South County, we have a wide variety of fun festivities,... Read more »

]]>One of the nicest things about the holidays is that everyone is welcome. The time brings out the best in us, when giving truly is more important than receiving.

There’s also a lot of community activities that we share to celebrate the season. Here in South County, we have a wide variety of fun festivities, most of which are open to everyone. If you are lucky enough to get to spend part of your holidays in or near Pismo, here’s some events to think about adding to your schedule.

“The Holiday Extravaganza” at the Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville, 1863 Front St.. (Highway 1), Oceano; 805-489-2499. An entertaining dance and music celebration of the season.

“Christmas in the Village,” with Santa roaming the streets in downtown Arroyo Grande, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

“Carol of the Arts,” with Arroyo Grande High School arts and music classes performing, December 1 through December 24, at the Clark Center, 487 Fair Oaks Avenue, Arroyo Grande. Call 805-489-9444 for details.

“A Very Musical Holiday” at the Grover Beach Holiday Parade, 10 a.m., December 6, on West Grand Avenue beginning at 16th Street.

“Babes in Toyland” presented by the Coastal Chamber Youth Ballet and Coastal Dance and Music Academy, 2 and 7 p.m. on December 6 and 7. At the Clark Center, 487 Fair Oaks Avenue, Arroyo Grande, $18 to $30,; 805-489-9444.

“Elegant Evening in the Village,” in downtown Arroyo Grande, 4 to 8 p.m., December 7. The Village will be decorated, and merchants will be open offering holiday treats.

]]>http://www.seaventure.com/2014/12/02/pismo-holiday-activities/feed/0Summer Breeze Makes You Feel Fine — In Novemberhttp://www.seaventure.com/2014/11/11/santa-lucia-downslope-winds/
http://www.seaventure.com/2014/11/11/santa-lucia-downslope-winds/#commentsTue, 11 Nov 2014 19:33:09 +0000http://www.seaventure.com/?p=1509Locals often refer to fall on the Central Coast as summer. They are not really right, of course, but they aren’t wrong either. Today (November 7th) in Pismo has a high of 79 degrees compared with a normal November high of 69, and yesterday was 82, with sun splashing over everything. It may say ‘fall’... Read more »

]]>Locals often refer to fall on the Central Coast as summer. They are not really right, of course, but they aren’t wrong either. Today (November 7th) in Pismo has a high of 79 degrees compared with a normal November high of 69, and yesterday was 82, with sun splashing over everything. It may say ‘fall’ on the calendar, but it sure feels ‘summer’ on your shoulders.

Of course, Pismo is not noted for its wild variations in weather. Our average daily highs range from 65 degrees in January all the way up to 73 in September. That big ocean out the front door keeps everything moderate, and the normal northwesterly breeze makes sure that we are cooler than inland areas in summer and warmer in winter.

So what’s up with the summertime temperatures along the coast in fall?

Waves Whipped by Downslope Wind

Well, it actually is a summer breeze. When conditions are right, we get a strong offshore wind out of the east, and it carries the warmer temperatures of the interior with it. In fact, these winds gather even more warmth as they travel down the slopes of the coastal range and out to sea. Locally, we call these downslope winds the ‘Santa Lucia winds’ because that’s the name of the mountain range; in Southern Cal, they have the Santa Anas that work the same way.

A commercial fisherman friend of ours recently went out to sea in one of these warm spells, with the offshore wind behind him. He reported that not far out, certainly within 10 miles of shore, he found the usual northwesterly wind with its cool temperatures all of a sudden, just like turning a switch. You go from t-shirt to hoodie, gloves and hat in a couple hundred yards.

If your inner geek wants to know more about these winds,

Summer Breeze Warms the Coast

follow local PG&E meterologist John Lindsey, who writes a weekly weather column for the Tribune. John has tried to teach us about how down-slope winds (‘katabatic winds’) gain warmth (well, it’s ‘adiabatic heating,’ obviously!) and lose humidity (that ‘orographic lift’ of course). Luckily, John can translate into ordinary English.